Part 4

Alice Blodeuwodd Fenix.

Yggdrasil time [22:06]

Inner Mind of Erwin | Mind planes |

 

Suddenly, Alicia found herself standing on top of a massive boulder, overlooking a mesmerizing sight. Below, hundreds of tents dotted the grassy field, while the stumps of felled trees left across the area. Standing torches can be seen in almost every angle, illuminated every corner, with trails of bioluminescent colors adding a magical touch to the scene.

'This place... Could this be the Promus base?' Alicia wondered, her eyes darted from left to right, scanning the scenery before her. 

As Alicia turned around, she was greeted by the sight of numerous towering wooden buildings in the distance. Beyond them, a tall mountain with a snow-capped peak glowed under the radiance of the moon, offering a spectacular view she had rarely seen in the real world.

Although she had glimpsed the mountains before,  she had never truly paid attention. Under the clear sky, the mountains revealed themselves in all their breathtaking beauty, as if nature had bestowed a rare gift.

Seeing such a sight, Alicia  realized, ‘If I could remember correctly, that is the Mountains of Mysia, the mountain up north which Vanessa had mentioned that she was exploring.'

“BLUE TEAM OUT!!!!”

In the distance, a cacophony of echoes filled the air, drawing Alicia's attention. As she turned, a sea of people swarmed a specific area. She noticed everyone seemed to resemble both her and Erwin, right down to the replication of their clothing. Not to mention, with how massive Erwin’s wing was, it nearly overtook the entire view on the spot.

'How can I possibly find the real one among all these imposters? Are they called imposters? Fakes seem to be a more fitting callsign.'

Alicia was met with the sight of hundreds, possibly thousands of fakes, with more probably lurking nearby. Feeling perplexed and without a clear plan, she decided to walk her way towards the crowd, brainstorming numerous strategies to reveal the original.

'Had this been the real world, connecting to Mind Networking would be the easiest way to find his identity among the fake,' Alicia thought. 'I would be able to gain information the instant I see them. But I wonder, what of the A-cells?'

Alicia inspected her body and realized she couldn't feel her A-cells; they were almost nonexistent in her body. Her body didn't seem to exist; she couldn't feel her heartbeat or any movement in her cells. It felt strange that her eyes were the only part of her that seemed to be functioning normally.

‘The absence of A-cells in my body prohibits me from undergoing transformation. But I am uncertain if Erwin’s situation is similar to mine. Then, what about the fakes? Do they share the same biological identity? However, it’s unfeasible to locate Erwin through blood sample analyses without the knowledge of his Biological identity in the first place. I had wasted the opportunity to ask his biological identity, which would have been extremely helpful in this scenario.'

For an Aetherian citizen, each possesses unique A-cells, which constitute their biological identity. Regardless of how many times an Athari switches between races, their consciousness always remains tied to their own body and A-cells. Even if an Athari body is abandoned, it will only recognize its original consciousness, rendering it almost if not impossible to be piloted by anyone else in the real world.

‘Even if I have knowledge of Erwin's blood, it's useless if all the fakes share the same blood as him.’ Alicia continued her thought.

Alicia leaped off the tall boulder and strolled through the grassy field, her eyes scanning the surroundings. As she walked, she noticed numerous fakes were engaged in various activities outside their tents. Some were chatting, others were savoring food, and a few were trading and discussing the different races in the game.

Alicia couldn't detect anything unusual about the fakes she encountered. Being new to the game, she had no prior knowledge of their typical behavior within this state. With limited information, she felt a sense of mystery, considering drastic measures such as locating explosives to plant throughout the area and destroying the base completely. However, with limited supplies, that would prove difficult.

Alicia could try and  find the Mindcore that Lesny mentioned earlier and dismisses such dangerous plans. She came to a stop and decided to inspect her avatar.

There was nothing out of the ordinary; Her Qliphoth ruin bell hung from her belt, and the hat with a veil sat firmly on her head. Observing that her external avatar appeared completely normal, Alicia nodded in satisfaction.

She continued forward, thinking, ‘Since this is inside of Erwin’s mind, I wonder if this is a dream-like state?’

Curious of her random ideas, Alicia decided to test it out by wishing for an Arkth-based rifle. To her dismay, nothing manifested despite her strong desire. Disappointed, she decided to explore more ideas.

‘Then what about the place? Does this place have any borders?’

As she thought this, Alicia arrived at the crowded area, but her view was blocked by the towering wings. Alicia spoke up, "Excuse me, individual with the wings..."

As Alicia's commanding voice echoed through the crowd, the imposters masquerading as Erwin turned in unison to face her. A tense silence settled between them as if daring to challenge her authority, leaving an abrupt feeling of unease creeping over her. Her senses are heightened by her mind, readying her avatar for a battle to come.

Alicia grew suspicious, ‘Was I not supposed to do that?’

Alicia remembered Lensy's warning not to harm the wrong person, but she did nothing wrong except calling out to them. As she observed their behavior, they stared at her with wide eyes, as if she were in the wrong. This erratic and unsettling reaction left Alicia feeling slightly uneasy.

After a few seconds, the man in front of her spoke, “Oh, my bad! I didn’t realize you were also watching the battle in Arena 1”

'Arena 1? If I recall correctly, that's the place where I currently am in the Medium. But what's with this informal behavior?' Alicia judge.

Suddenly, a pathway opened before Alicia, with the other people resembling her doing the same. Alicia hesitated to enter the crowd, as it seemed like a trap and she would be surrounded from all directions with no escape.

“Are you not going to watch?” a fake Alicia asked, tilting her head, silently pressuring her. 

“No need,” Alicia responded, “I changed my mind.”

Upon hearing her words, the crowd closed in, obscuring the view with their mass. Alicia took a step back, deciding to skirt around the crowd and carefully consider her options.

"Do these fakes possess similar abilities to their original? Do they share the same thought processes as me? Are they sentient? Do they possess the awareness of their identity and the person they are communicating with?"

Alicia's mind was filled with endless questions, for which she could find no answers by simply inspecting her surroundings. The weight of it all burdened her, as the plans she could think of were riddled with numerous holes that threatened to destroy her ideas.

As Alicia's mind went through hundreds of questions, a bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky and struck the center of the crowd.

‘What are Erwin's abilities? Are they related to lightning? I am unable to formulate any effective strategies to locate Erwin's consciousness. It may be more prudent to divert my focus towards finding Mindcore instead.’

Alicia revised her plans and decided to search for the Mindcore. She turned her body around and quickened her pace, heading towards the center of the base where a towering building constructed of wood stood, visible from any angle within the base.

She decided to use the main commanding facility building as a vantage point to scan the entire base before inspecting each tent. With that height, there is a higher possibility of finding the Mindcore.

Alicia’s mind buzzed with questions: 'Would destroying landscape properties make the fakes aggressive? Does indirect killing make them aggressive towards me?' As she mentally formed a list of her queries, she carefully prioritized them by importance.

'I need more information to locate the real one quickly,’ Alicia continued to ponder. ‘I wonder what's happening in the real world while I am present in Erwin's head. Am I in a vulnerable state?'

Alicia ran, constantly scanning her surroundings, relying on her augments to notice anything her mind might have overlooked. Unfortunately, her augments revealed nothing of significance. Despite the disappointment, she did manage to make one small discovery.

'I have boundless stamina, and I'm not sure what causes it. Is it due to the nature of this place being consciousness, my body not existing, or perhaps a combination of both?' Alicia pondered.

A few minutes later, Alicia found herself stopping in front of the base’s center, encircled by a shallow moat, the water glistening with blue bioluminescence around its perimeter. Despite its simplistic appearance, it exuded an air of primal fortitude. As Alicia's gaze fixed upon the towering edifice, an airship suddenly came into view as it landed in one of the building’s docks.

‘That airship... I recall it as the vessel that brought me here. Vanessa even mentioned that she was the one who proudly named it the Spedo Airship due to its high speed. Let's utilize it to locate the Mindcore.’

Before deciding to continue onward, Alicia turned around to see hundreds of tents standing tall. Countless fake were engrossed in various activities: running, playing, and even battling. Additionally, fake Erwins had breached the skies, fighting in groups. The chaotic scene was one that Alicia couldn't get used to.

The central base of Promus was perched on a small plateau, elevating it by several meters from where she had first entered. This vantage point allowed her to see the surroundings more clearly than ever before. As she decided to continue forth, Alicia proceeded through a path that transitioned from grassy ground to gravel and dry land.

Moments later, Alicia came across a primitive stony bridge and proceeded to enter the imposing high wooden walls. Inside the central commanding center, she noticed numerous buildings, she decided to enter the main one, which stood as the tallest structure in the base, spanning over five floors.

As Alicia stepped into the area, she couldn't help but notice the stark contrast from the Medium. In the Medium, hundreds of Seekers would be strolling around, testing various things, but here, their numbers had greatly diminished. It felt odd, almost eerie.

She continued comparing Erwin’s inner mind to the Medium. In the Medium, numerous races would gather in groups, sharing bags and supplies, cooking, and more – activities that were absent in Erwin's inner mind.

‘Quite empty.’

Alicia couldn't find any mountains of dead wolves or meat displayed on drying racks to be cooked. She came to a halt, pondering, ‘Do monsters not exist here?’

As much as she enjoyed posing questions, there was no one capable of providing her with answers nearby. With a final sweep of her surroundings, she found no trace of anything amiss or suspicious, and she made the decision to enter the main facility.

Alicia stepped into the lobby of the main facility, immediately spotting rows of desks and chairs lining either side. Behind each desk sat a receptionist, and the other chairs at the front were occupied by guests, though not all of them were taken. She noticed a ball of light roaming above the ceiling, providing soft light downwards.

When Alicia entered this area in the past, she was struck by a strong, unsettling scent in the air – a mix of blood and the comforting aroma of freshly brewed tea. Additionally, there would be that one grumpy person manipulating the air around the lobby, directing it outside. However, at the current time, there is no such thing.

'This place... as I recall the words of the Tiger-man attendant, is the location where the officers of the Promus base verify the Seekers' findings through firsthand observation, rather than simply relying on reports and pictures.'

After finishing her observation, Alicia walked over to a vacant desk where she heard a heated conversation taking place nearby, which immediately grabbed her attention. Curious about the discussion, she swiveled her head to listen in.

"What do you mean the Battalion heading for the base of Mount Mysia was annihilated?" Fake Alicia shouted angrily. "Weren't we supposed to establish an Anchor base before 7 pm?"

Alicia thought while glaring at the imposter. ‘How... That is a quite defiling image. I would never shout so horribly and lack elegance.’

The receptionist, Erwin, sat across from them and calmly explained, "We're currently awaiting the Battalion Anchor's report. The exploration of the Mysia Mountains will be put on hold while we assess the monsters and await decisions from the Moonfollowers. It's probable that they were wiped out by a monster called Eingre."

"Ugh," fake Alicia responded with an indescribable sound. "I was so excited to visit the mountains for the first time in my life... And what about Hegenees' blood?"

"Actually, several members of Battalion PoodParty and independent squads have obtained genetic information from the Hegenees. I will send you the list of Seekers who have their DNA stored in their bodies. However, I strongly advise against evolving into the Hegeness, as our knowledge of their race is limited. Evolving into a race that your minds may not comprehend could result in incompatibility and lead to insanity for your avatars."

"Right, I almost forgot about that," the fake Alicia confessed confidently.

"How could you forget?" 

"I mean, they're so cute! How could something so adorable become a threat to my mind?"

"Those four-armed giant bears?!" Erwin couldn't hide his disgusted expression. 

"Well, there are six-armed Hegenees, now those are much more adorable."

Alicia was curious about the gossip she had heard, but she found it irrelevant to her current situation. As she made her way toward the vacant table, she couldn’t help but notice the fireballs resting above each occupied table, providing more light, while the vacant did not have any.

As Alicia sat down at the table, a fireball instantly appeared above her. Startled, she didn't give away her expression.

As the fire provided more light, Alicia noticed that the receptionist appeared as a fake version of herself, dressed in identical attire and equipped with the same weapon. Contemplating the situation, she noted her observation, 'It appears that every fraudulent individual I have encountered bears an uncanny resemblance to myself and Erwin. Any deviations in their appearance could potentially indicate the original.'

"Good evening. How may I assist you?" the fake inquired, making an eerie smile, stretching unnaturally across their face.

Alicia shivered as she laid eyes on a fake version of herself. She recoiled in horror as the receptionist's smile contorted, elongating into an unnatural impossibly wide grin, while her red pupils manifested a grotesque transformation, expanding disproportionately until it covered the entirety of her black sclera. A shiver raced down Alicia’s spine, her mind throttled in its senses, giving her warnings of the entity in front of her. 

Despite the horrific sight in front of her, Alicia pressed on. "Is the Spedo Airship operational? Mind if I use it?"

The receptionist's mouth opened, revealing sharp teeth and several tongues that squirmed like dead worms. Her voice became increasingly muffled, wet, and incomprehensible as she replied.

"First, you need to submit your mission proposal to the Moonfollowers department. Then, contact the ship manager of the Promus. If you receive their permission, send the mission proposal with the Moonfollowers' stamp and the ship manager's approval to me."

As the receptionist finished speaking, blood dripped from its mouth. Its sharp teeth repeatedly pierced its lip as it talked, and its body twitched in erratic movements. Additionally, the receptionist's hair slowly turned from reddish to black, weary and dry.

Alicia witnessed the receptionist's behavior turning increasingly horrific. The receptionist scratched its nails on the wooden armrest, twitching violently as blood poured from its nails.

‘I think… Talking to the fakes is a bad idea.’ Alicia concluded.

Alicia paused, a shiver of realization running down her spine. Glancing around, she noticed the other fakes rising from their chairs, their bloodshot eyes fixed on her. The room grew darker, casting an eerie atmosphere that dominated the area and made their twisted appearances even more horrifying.

Their appearance had transformed into something horrifying that left Alicia speechless in terror, unable to find the right words to describe the monstrosity in front of her.

Suddenly, the receptionist in front of her stood up, causing Alicia to jump from her chair and quickly move away from them. The table grew ominously dark as the fire above extinguished with a hush, leaving only the eerie glow of the receptionist's red eyes piercing through the darkness.

‘You! How dare you scare me like that? I can't believe someone would have the audacity to do that. When did this turn into a horror-simulated world?’ Alicia wanted to express her feelings, but she suppressed them as she understood the reason behind their changes.

“**********”

The receptionist's muffled voice made it difficult for Alicia to understand, but she managed to make out, -  "Is there something I can do for you?"

Alicia remained silent and glanced towards the lobby entrance, now crowded by the terrifying fakes. Internally, she pondered, ‘Is there a way to escape Erwin's consciousness without being touched by these unknown scum? I wonder what's happening on Erwin's side. Surely, I am not the only one experiencing this!’

She chose not to respond and turned away, purposefully avoiding any interaction with the fakes. Instead, she made her way through the curtain door located at the opposite side of the entrance, leading deep inside the building.

As Alicia hurriedly stepped inside, she was met with a long corridor, flanked by wooden walls with numerous curtain doors on either side. A glowing green-bioluminescent line traced the floor from the entrance of the rooms to the others. On the ceiling, numerous bright yellow crystals replaced the previous ball of light, casting light throughout the corridor.

She recollected, 'This is the location where I received treatment from the healers.'

As Alice walked forward, she entered the nearby rooms. Upon entering, she saw numerous beddings with curtains draping from the wooden pole as if providing privacy.

Alicia rushed to a small cabinet nestled in the corner of the room. She opened the top drawer, and found a variety of neatly arranged vials, including blue, red, and green liquids. Taking a red vial and uncorking it, 

‘I despise cannibalism, but I reserve that sentiment for the living and those whom I consider my kin.’

She dipped her fingertip inside the veil, feeling the cold and smudgy texture against her skin. Then, Alicia brought it to her lips and commanded her to augment, ‘Augment, analyze the blood samples.’

Alicia wondered if Erwin's consciousness within this space also contained their genetic information. As she waited, she received an unknown genetic material. It didn't match her own, but she couldn't be sure if it belonged to Erwin.

She selected another veil, this one in a blue color, and repeated the same test. This time, the augment provided her with information indicating a different genetic material. Alicia had a tentative conclusion but didn't want to rely on just two tests from two samples. She decided to conduct several tests on all of the veils in the cabinet.

After a few minutes of testing, Alicia concluded, ‘Genetic traits may be random because consciousness provides them randomly, or they may be based on what his body has recorded, or influenced by unknown factors yet to be discovered. Regardless, it's undeniable that the blood's genetics do not match mine. However, this test is limited to property of the mind, not from an actual living subject like the fakes.’

She sighed inwardly, wishing she had known Erwin's true identity. It would have made finding him so much easier.

As Alicia reached somewhat a conclusion, she placed the vial back at the top of the cabinet. Suddenly, a rustling sound to her right made her whirl around. Outside the window, she saw numerous faces devoid of any features, their heads fixated on her.

As she glanced at the billowing curtains, a shadow that closely resembled Erwin's silhouette loomed from one of the beds, its faint contours barely visible in the dim light.

She swallowed nervously and turned her gaze towards the corridor outside the room. She was startled to see several figures standing just outside the curtain door, staring at her intently.

'This is quite a predicament. I never anticipated the testing would take so long, nor that they would follow me. Could it be because I was tampering with the vials?’

Alicia's mind raced with unanswered questions. She decided, 'I need to escape this room, away from these unknown scums.'

Alicia decided to keep moving, holding her breath as she left the medical room. Outside, she was confronted by several figures, their appearances much more frightening than before. Their eyes protruded from their sockets, blood dripped from their wounds, and it was indescribable how much they had changed compared to her previous encounter.

Exiting the healing room and moving upward the building, walking on the primitive stairs, step by step, without any elevators or levitative devices she would have been used if there had been. As she hurriedly walked, Alicia could hear the fakes following her from behind. 

As Alicia entered the second floor, she encountered a horde of menacing figures, their gazes fixed on her and nearly blocking her path. She skillfully navigated through the horrors, attempting to evade each one.

Alicia ascended to the third floor, and she was surprised to encounter fewer figures due to it being the officers' area. However, she was startled to find a variety of deformed creatures. Among them was a miniaturized version of herself, about half her size, with six limbs, and hundreds of eyes covering its skin, eerily crawling along the walls, fixated on Alicia.

‘This is fine, not as bad as the ones in the real world.’ Alicia coped, ‘This is a simulation world after all.’

As Alicia reached the fourth floor, she noticed the absence of any entities, yet the sense of being followed persisted. Tense and fearful of a potential ambush, she cautiously made her way to the building's exit and quietly stepped onto the roof.

The rooftop featured a docking area where seekers could load and unload at a moment's notice. Alicia observed several fakes disembarking from the Spedo Airship, their appearances just beginning to transform.

Glancing back towards the stairs she had ascended, Alicia observed the fakes slowly making their way onto the roof. With time on her side, she swiftly moved towards the roof's edge, surveying the entire Promus base. It immediately struck her how eerily quiet the base had become, devoid of the chaotic activities she had witnessed earlier.

She continued scanning her surroundings, storing each scene in her memory bank for later recollection. She noticed numerous fakes constantly moving toward the center of the base with an eerie gait. She wanted to enhance her vision through transformation, but the absence of A cells made it impossible to transform her eyes.

She squinted, scanning the distance for any sign of the mindcore Lesny had mentioned, but she couldn't discern worth anything. Frustrated and aware of the fakes approaching the rooftop, she sighed in defeat and made her decision to board the ship.

Nothing seemed to stop her, or rather, she was treated the same as before, with bloodshot eyes staring at her. Alicia cared little and continued on her way.

Alicia made her way to the stern of the ship, opposite where she and Vanessa had previously rested when she was escorted to the Promus base. As she gazed out onto the wheelhouse, a golden sphere caught her eye, floating beside the wooden wheel.

"I found it," Alicia remarked, as relief brought her tense body to a state of relaxation. "That was rather anticlimactic."

Alicia moved closer to it, thinking, ‘If I touch this, I would be the owner of Erwin’s body. I don’t know what will happen to mine. I will have to do this to find out. However, Lesny did say that Erwin's consciousness will still be alive, going through the same process I did several minutes ago.’

She nodded to herself, and touched the golden ball.